Knitted fabric



C. W. MINTON KNITTED FABRIC Nov. 18, 1947.

3 Sheets-Sheet I R D T N EM V NW 1 E c N E T a L E ATTORNEYS Nov. 18, 1947. c, w, MINTON 2,431,068

KNITTED FABRIC Filed Oct. 27, 1941 5 Shee ts-Sheet 2 FIG. 4.

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C. W. MINTON KNITTED FABRIC Nov. 18, 1947.

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INVENTOR. W.Min[un Patented Nov. 18, 1947 KNITTED FABRIC Clarence Webb Minton, Nashville, Tenn., assignor to Hold Stitch Fabric Machine Company, Nashville, Tenn., a corporation of Tennessee Application October 27, 1941, Serial No. 416,746

Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in knitted fabric and means and methods of producing the same.

The primary object of this invention is the provision of an improved fabric and method of producing the same wherein certain wale lines in certain areas thereof are knitted of a less length than the adjacent wales in the same area whereby to produce a puckered or bulging effect in the fabric.

A further object of this invention is the provision of a seamless knitted tubular fabric such as may be produced upon seamless knitting machines of the Banner or Scott 8: Williams type in which normally horizontal striping effects at certain locations are pulled out of such normal horiiontal alignment to present pleasing design efects.

A further object of this invention is the provision of an improved fabric such as described in the immediately preceding paragraph which may be produced by holding certain stitches upon certain needles of the knitting machine while continuing the knitting of tubular fabric for a predetermined number of courses and floating the yarn from these courses behind the needles whereon the stitches are being held, and then subsequently resuming knitting upon those needles whereon the stitches were held for the purpose of producing pleasing design effects in the fabric.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will be apparent during the course of the following detailed description.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and wherein similar reference characters designate corresponding parts thruout the several views,

Figure 1 is a view showing a section of improved fabric knitted after the improved method to be hereinafter described and wherein at certain areas the wale lines have been shortened to pull out of normal alignment horizontal striped effects so as to present pleasing design effects in the fabric.

Figure 2 is a side elevation of a section of another type of fabric knitted in accordance with this invention.

Figure 3 is a side elevation of a section of a third type of fabric knitted in accordance with this invention.

Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmentary view of a portion of the fabric shown in Figure 1 with certain wale lines cut away at the location where the normal horizontal striped effects are pulled out of line, in order to disclose the location at which the yarn is floated rearwardly of such cut wale lines.

Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 4, but showing certain characteristic features of the type of fabric of Figure 2.

Figure 6 is likewise a view similar to Figure 4, but showing certain characteristic features in the structure of the fabric of Figure 3.

Figure '7 is a side elevation of a seamless knitted stocking showing the design of the fabric of Figure 1.

Figure 8 is a fragmentary view showing certain needle, jack and cam arrangements for the knitting of such fabric as shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3.

In the drawings, wherein for the purpose of illustration are shown preferred and modified forms of the invention, the letter A may generally designate the instrumentality upon which the knitted fabric is produced, and B, C and D respectively designate the characteristic fabrics of Figures 1, 2 and 3 respectively.

As before mentioned, any approved type of circular knitting machine may be used for the knitting of the fabric herein described, such as the Banner or Scott 8: Williams machine. The arrangement shown in Figure 8 is merely a general understanding of the means by which the fabric may be knitted, and it has no particular reference to the knitting of any of the individual designs illustrated in Figures 1, 2 and 3.

The usual set of independent needles H) is provided, and a complementary set of jacks II; one jack being positioned beneath each needle. A set of stitch earns 12 is provided; the knitting point during regular rotary knitting being designated at l3.

A block of jack and needle elevating cams is provided; the cams being designated at H, l5, l6, ll, l8 and IS in the drawings. They are independently actuated from a conventional pattern drum mechanism well understood in this art. In the rear of this cam block there is located the needle lowering cam 20 adapted to cooperate upon the butts of the needles 10 for lowering the same to the point 21 just prior to the time that the jack butts may engage any of the cams l5-| 9 which may be selected to elevate desired needles.

In the drawings I merely show six cams l4-I9 inclusive, but I have provided machines with as 3 25; the feed finger 25 in Figure 8 being shown as lowered for feeding yarn to those needles which are elevated by selected cams M-IB inclusive.

In Figure 8 the cam 26 is shown as lowering all of the needles to the point 2|. The cam I4 is shown in position to contact the long butts of certain jacks H for 'elevating them and the needles I!) thereabo-ve to the level designated by the needle w in Figure 8 cf the drawings. These needles so elevated by the cam M are in position to take yarn from the feed finger 25 and knit the same. Certain groups of jacks ll are shown as provided with short butts at the level of the earn [4, so that those butts Will miss the cam I4- and remain lowered as shown in Figure 8, so that the needles thereabove will not take yarn from the finger 25. These needles above the jacks I I will hold their stitches during the knitting of as many courses as desired upon the needles elevated by the cam l4. Leveling earns 26 are of course provided for the jacks, and suitable leveling cams are likewise provided. for the needles.

It will be noted that a special butt arrangement H is provided upon the jacks of the group ll which may cooperate with one of the cams [5 so as to elevate the jacks N and the needles thereabove when it is desired to feed yarn thereto. The arrangement shown is merely illustrative of one way in which the knitting of the fabric shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3 maybe accomplished, and I might provide other special groups of jacks I I to produce other effects.

It is understood that in knitting the fabric the yarn is fed for a predetermined number of courses to the needles It elevated by, let us say, the cam I4 and thereafter these needles go out of action while yarn is knitted upon the needles above the group of jacks I l The knitting upon these needles above group i i proceeds for a predetermined number of courses, preferably less than the number of courses previously knitted upon the other needles, so that the wale lines of stitches formedby the needles above the group of jacks W are shorter than the adjacent wale lines, and this produces a puckered effect in the fabric, similar to that shown in the fabrics of Figures 1, 2 and 3'. Of course, the yarn knitted upon the needles elevated thru the cam M is floated back of the needles over the jacks i l wale lines produced by the needles above the group of jacks i i 'are taut, the stitches will usually be longer than the stitches in the adjacent wale line, and indeed it is within the contemplation of this invention to provide special means for lengthening the stitches of the needles above the group of jacks li so that but very few stitches are necessary to draw the normal horizontal courses out of line at this point.

Referring now to the fabric of Figures 1 and 4, it will be noted that the fabric presents a diamond-shaped design appearance. This is given to the fabric because of the shortened wale lines at the locations 33 pulling the normally horizontal striped courses out of horizontal alignment at these points. In the knitting of this particular design, I will knit say six courses of white yarn designated at 3!, and thereafter knit two courses of a red yarn designated at 32. Thereafter, on all of the needles of the machine except those which would normally be positioned above a group of jacks such as the group 5 l of Figure 8, I knit ablue yarn designated at 33-, for sixteen courses. It should be noted thatduring the knitting of the yarn 33, the needles above the group li of Due to the fact that the drawings I employ black and White yarns.

jacks would ordinarily be lowered and holding the stitches thereon during the entire knitting of the sixteen courses of blue yarn 33. This blue yarn is thus floated rearwardly of these lowered needles as is designated at 35, Figure 4 of the drawings. After the knitting of the sixteen courses of blue yarn 33 the needles above the group of jacks such as ll will then be elevated and the remaining needles will hold their stitches. For the design of fabric shown in Figure 1 there are three stitches in each of the wale lines at the areas 30. These are rather long stitches, since they are tautly drawn. Then I resume regular knitting upon the needles of the machine, providing a two course red yarn at 37, and subsequently I knit six courses of white yarn designated at 38. It will be noted that the white yarn stripes 3| and 38 and the red yarn. stripes 32 and 31, which ordinarily would be horizontal, are drawn out of line at the location of the shortened wale lines 30 to produce the diamond effect shown in the fabric of Figure 1. In Figure 4 it will be noted that certain stitches forming the wale lines 38 have been cut so as to expose the float portions 35 of the blue yarn 33, and to show how the white and red yarns will then be drawn out horizontally into normal position. For the fabric B it will also be noted that other shortened wale lines 33 may be provided in the fabric, in duplication of the above described procedure. It will be noted that the fabric in the wale lines formed of the blue yarn 33 adjacent to the areas 39 will be puckered. This presents a pleasing appearance.

In the fabric C shown in Figures 2 and 5 of the The white yarn is knitted at the area 46 for twelve courses and at each side of this area 45 three stitched narrow hold wale lines 4| and 42 are knitted; the wale lines forming the areas All and 42 of course being fewer than the area 49. The black yarn is likewise knitted at the areas 43 for twelve courses, and it is floated rearwardly of the wale line areas 3| and 42 of white yarns; the black yarn 43 having reduced wale line areas 44 and 45 behind which the white yarn of. the areas 4E3 is floated. Thus the wale lines 4|, d2, 44 and 45 are taut and pucker the fabric of the areas 40 and 43 at their end courses out of normal horizontal alignment to produce the rather octagonshaped areas 46 and 43 of the white and black yarns. It of course should be noted that the stitches forming the areas 4!, d2, 4A3 and 45 are tautly drawn and they are formed on those needles which would normally lie beneath a group of jacks such as li and ll shown in Figure 8 of the drawings; their stitches being held while the fabric is being knitted out of the yarn forming the areas 6E! and $3. In Figure 5 the white yarn at one hold wale line area 42 is shown as out to expose the floats of the black yarn at 50.

Many design varieties may be provided, and any number of needles selected in adjacent or relatively spaced relation for the formation of the hold wale lines. Thusin Figures 4 and 5 it is shown that at least one needle at the float areas 35 and 55 was employed to knit yarns of the same number of stitches as those in the larger areas 33 and 53.

Referring to the fabric D, the same combines in a very unique and ornamental appearance the effects which can be produced with this invention in connection with a horizontal striper. The gathered or puckered effect is particularly noticeable in this design. a

I normal knitted areas, I knit two courses of a red yarn 30; ten courses of a blue yarn BI and then two courses of a white yarn 03. At certain points where the needles are above such groups of jacks as N and li shown in Figure 8, the yarn is floated during the knitting of the ten courses of the blue yarn BI and thereafter a single long hold stitch is provided in each wale line at the areas designated at 65. This bulges outwardly the entire area designated at 6|, and inasmuch as regular knitting is resumed at the area upon all of the needles; this area 10 between the areas 65 will have its normal flat appearance, and the areas 0! will stand out beyond the normal plane of the fabric web. That will also be the case of additional areas such as 61 which are the same as the areas 6| altho narrower insofar as number of wales are concerned. In Figure 6 the hold stitches formed at the areas 65 have been severed to show that the yarn is floated at 10 at these locations, and this View also shows how the red and white yarn 00 and 63 normally draw out horizontally upon severing of the stitches forming the Wale areas 65.

It is a matter of choice to produce puckered and striping effects, since the needle, jack and cam set-ups may be varied at will to provide different designs and patterns. Likewise the number of courses of stitches in the pull Wale line areas may be varied in number and length.

It is not necessary to knit the stocking after this invention out of a plurality of colors, since a solid colored yarn may be used thruout the stocking, and the gathered, puckered or bulging effects produced in accordance with the above method of forming the fabric.

Various changes in the steps of the method of producing the improved fabric, and in and to the design selected, as well as rearrangement of instrumentalities by which the fabric is formed may be made to the invention as herein shown and described, without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the claims.

I claim:

1. A seamless knitted fabric with striped areas knitted with an intermediate contrastingly colored area of a predetermined number of courses, and shortened and tensioned Wale lengths extending vertically across the last mentioned knitted area between said stripes so as to pull the latter out of normal coursewise line and forwardly puckering the portion of the fabric knitted between said striped areas.

2. A seamless knitted fabric having a repeating sequence of yarn knitted courses forming stripes with an intermediate yarn knitted course area therebetween including a normal knitted horizontal course or courses therein, and relatively spaced shortened wale lengths of knitted yarn extending between said courses forming stripes pulling said courses forming stripes into zig-zag stripes.

3. A seamless knitted fabric having a repeating sequence of courses forming stripes with an intermediate course area therebetween including a normal knitted horizontal course or courses therein, and relatively spaced shortened wale lengths extending between said courses forming stripes at a plurality of locations around each of said intermediate course areas pulling said courses forming stripes into zig-zag stripes with the intermediate course areas puckered therebetween,

4. A seamless knitted fabric having a repeating sequence of yarn knitted courses forming stripes with an intermediate yarn knitted course area therebetween, and relatively spaced shortened Wale lengths of knitted yarn extending between said courses forming stripes around'said intermediate course areas pulling said courses forming stripes into a zig-zagged arrangement of stripes.

5. A seamless knitted fabric having a repeating sequence of yarn knitted courses forming stripes with an intermediate yarn knitted course area therebetween, relatively spaced shortened wale lengths of knitted yarn extending between said courses forming stripes around said intermediate course areas pulling said courses forming stripes into a, zig-zagged arrangement of stripes, and puckering the intermediate course area in each of said course areas between adjacent space shortened Wale lengths.

CLARENCE WEBB MINTON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,541,230 Lombardi June 9, 1925 1,623,027 Gagne Mar. 29, 1927 1,673,764 Gagne June 12, 1928 1,673,766 Gagne June 12, 1928 1,981,057 Lombardi Nov. 20, 1934 2,002,271 Lombardi May 21, 1935 2,042,149 Gastrich May 26, 1936 2,105,301 Saftlas Jan. 11, 1938 2,188,241 Davis Jan. 23, 1940 2,193,872 Jackson et al Mar. 29, 1940 2,254,409 Allen Sept. 2, 1941 2,347,005 Smith Apr. 18, 1944 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 430,438 Great Britain June 19, 1935 

